


Treacherous

by Wowcats



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alot of SAM because I love SAM, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Porn With Plot, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-11-30 17:27:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11468238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wowcats/pseuds/Wowcats
Summary: Liam Kosta fell hard for Sara Ryder.Reyes Vidal fell hard for Sara Ryder.Sara Ryder has no idea how to be with anyone or how to address her own feelings.One big love triangle with a lot of feelings, jealousy, anger and sex, told from multiple point of views.Some chapters have music, because why not? Titles could change because I'm indecisive.





	1. Something Familiar

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't choose between Liam and Reyes and this was inspired by that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _This slope is treacherous,_  
>  This path is reckless.  
> This slope is treacherous,  
> And, I like it.

A grunt left his lips as he pushed away from the ground. He could feel the muscles in his arms flex as he lifted his body weight. Sweat trickled down his forehead and bare chest as he let out another huff of air. 

_Eighty-eight. Eighty-nine.._

Liam counted in his head. His arms were starting to burn, silently protesting as he continued to push his body further. This was better than focusing on the events of the day. Better than focusing on his own frustrations.

It was stupid assuming the angarans would welcome them with open arms- that they learned the moment they set down on Aya. The angarans were anything but trustful, not that they didn't have reason, but he thought after helping rescue Moshae Sjefa and dozens of captured angarans from the kett they would be a little more open to them. Except they weren’t. Just like Nexus officials had closed the door in his face, the representatives of Aya had done the same thing. After everything they had done, dealing with the people of the Milky Way was still considered 'too dangerous'.

Another groan left him as anger continue to pool in his stomach. When was everyone going to learn if they kept treating each other like outsiders, they’d always be outsiders? If it wasn’t for the sound of the door clicking open behind him he probably would have continued to focus on the annoyance, but instead he let his body lower to the ground again as he readied for another push-up.

“You’re working pretty hard,” Sara’s voice filled the room, and if he was in a better mood he probably would have smiled.

“All the time,” He replied quickly, continuing his push-ups. “Started young. Smart little kid, got angry a lot,” His words came between puffs of air. “Side effect of giving a shit.”

He could hear Sara sigh behind him and could picture the look on her face. Her brows would furrow, like they always did when she was confused or annoye, her hands would be on her hips and her lips pressed into a frown. “Liam, what’s going on?”

Liam took the chance to sigh himself, pushing away from the ground and to his feet. He turned to look at her and his thoughts were right. Sara had her hands on hips hips and a frown on her face. He didn’t like upsetting her, hell, the last thing she needed was to deal with his problems on top of her duties as Pathfinder, but it was too late now. On top of being Pathfinder, Sara Ryder had become one of his closest friends and when she noticed a problem with her friends, she didn’t let it go.

“We found that facility on Voled. Kicked them in the teeth. Great. But the kett steal what people are, everyone should have a stake in that,” He began, stopping to catch his breath and wipe sweat away from his forehead. “So I tried to reach out, get resources moving in a real way and bridge the gap like I did with Jaal. I can’t get permission coming or going. The Nexus. Aya. Everyone’s all ‘can’t take risks with outsiders’. I didn’t come here so everyone could be goddamn outsiders,” His voice flared at the end, his anger slipping through.

“You’re taking on a lot. Making all of Heleus your problem,” Sara’s voice stayed cool, trying to be reasonable as she always was.

“It _is_ our problem. We’re not going back, we have to make this work,” Liam sighed in annoyance and he shook his head. He moved past her, heading towards the little beaten down couch in the center of the room. His stomach turned as he looked at it, knotting up in sadness. It was stupid, getting upset over a couch, but someone had sent it here from back home. He missed home. No, he missed the Milky Way- this, Andromeda, was home now. 

“I wanted this, everything new. But eventually is has to be normal. I need...I need something familiar,” It was a struggle to keep his voice from cracking at the end. He took a seat on the couch, his eyes focused on the ground for a moment, and silence filled the room. He could feel Sara’s eyes on him, watching and waiting for his next move, and he finally looked up to meet her gaze again. “Can I show you something?”

“You know you can,” Her reply came as quick as his question and Sara moved to the open spot next to him. 

Liam tried not to smile, but the corners of his mouth turned up a little bit. “Did you bring anything from the Milky Way?”

“A few things, but the weight limits were real strict,” Sara smiled at him and this time he couldn’t help but smile back fully.

“I know, that’s why I made arrangements,” He fiddled with his omnitool, pulling up a picture. A small holo of a car came from his omnitool, floating between them. Sara’s studied it, but confusion was obvious on her face and she drew her brows together. “It’s a proper petrol burner. Twentieth century. British- from when that mattered,” Liam explained, his own eyes focusing on the holo. “My whole family worked on it together on the weekends, as if that’s a thing in space,” He laughed softly, remembering the memories of right before he left for Andromeda and his last moments with his family. “Friends in HUSTL set us up a transport and me and my father and mother loaded our car into it and shot it towards Andromeda.” He stared at the holo, and for a moment he see the face of his father, smiling at him as they worked together in the sun, rebuilding the car piece by piece.

“It’s sweet,” Sara’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, “But you know you’ll never see it again.”

“It’s a couple million years away at standard light,” Liam laughed, looking towards her. “What matters is, it’s coming. It always will be.” Sara continued to stare at him in confusion and Liam realized why; the car didn’t matter, even if he wanted it to. He’d never see it again, just like he’d never see his mother or father again. Part of him was starting to think he should have brought something more meaningful with him to Andromeda, or maybe he shouldn't have came at all. The smile quickly fell from his face as he stared at the ground. “I don’t even know what that means anymore,” He confessed softly, his voice breaking against all his will.

His eyes were still focused on the ground when he felt Sara’s hand on his shoulder. An unintentional chill went down his spine as her fingers brushed against his bare skin and when he looked at her his brows furrowed. She was staring at him and he couldn’t break her gaze. Liam had stared at Sara countless times before; watching her argue with higher ups, snipe enemies from across a field, they’d even shared a beer together more than once, but this time, something felt different. 

Pale blue eyes peered into his. He knew her eyes were blue, but he never noticed how bright they were. A small scar stretched across her cheek, another thing he had never noticed. Had she always had freckles too? He always thought Sara was pretty, but she had always been another soldier in the Initiative and his superior’s daughter, and the last thing he wanted was to upset her father. Then she became his superior and he dove head first into helping start a life in Heleus. He’d never actually taken the time to look at her like this because he never had a chance. Now she was just inches away from him, so close he could smell the soap she used, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Hands moved faster than his mind and before he knew it, Liam’s hand was at the back of her head pulling her towards him. Their lips met and her mouth tasted better than he ever could have imagined. It took him a moment to realize what he had done and when she didn’t immediately kiss him back, Liam pulled away. He was cursing at himself for being an idiot. He should have known better; Sara was his superior, and more importantly she was his friend. Now he had gone and let his emotions and impulsiveness mess it up by kissing her. 

“Sara, I’m sorry,” He rushed, apologizing as quickly as he could. 

Sara didn’t reply, her eyes staying focused on his face. Liam tried to get a read on her, but before he could she pushed herself towards him. Their lips met again, this time catching him off guard. Her fingers tangled into his hair and her tongue pushed past his lips. He almost objected, but the feeling of her body against him pushed the thought to the back of his mind and he let himself become lost in their kiss. Sara took the lead, pulling him towards her as she laid back on the couch. Their lips never parted, her fingers stayed locked in his hair to make sure of that. 

Liam was lost in his thoughts. His heart was hammering harder in his chest than it ever had before. Was this even happening or was it just a desperate dream? He almost didn’t notice the hand on his chest moving to grab one of his wrists and lead it towards her hips.

“Liam,” She whispered his name against his lips and he opened his eyes to look at her. “For once, stop over thinking.” There was a hunger in her eyes, a look he had never seen Sara give anything before. 

“You’re sure?” Her breath was still on his lips and her taste still in his mouth, making it nearly impossible for him to keep from just kissing her again, but he couldn’t help being caught tangled in his own doubts instead of getting tangled up in her. 

Her answer was another kiss, rougher than the last. He could feel the want in her lips, reassuring him, and the hand wrapped around his wrist kept pulling his closer until his fingers brushed against the bare strip of skin between her shirt and pants. Liam took the invitation and let his hand slip underneath her top, stroking her side with his fingertips. Her skin was soft underneath his touch, but he could feel every muscle tight underneath her flesh and he was starting to become lost in the feel of her body.

Her tongue pressed into his mouth and she let out a soft groan, making everything south in his body go tight with want. His movements started to become braver as his hands started to grasp at her curves. One tangled into her mess of dark hair while the other gripped onto her hip, pulling her flush against him. Another sound came from her mouth and Liam almost thought he was going to lose his mind. Her own hands traveled down his back and chest, exploring every inch of his skin until they came to the top of his pants. 

Fingers were starting to work at the button when Liam pushed them away. _Not yet_ , he told himself. If they were going to do this, he wanted her to at least enjoy herself and not rush through it. He broke their kiss and quickly moved to pull her shirt over her head and off her body, tossing it to the side of the room.

Sara had seen him shirtless countless times, but this was a first for Liam. His eyes ran her over, starting at her face and down to her hips. The same hungry look was in her eyes, only it had intensified and her lips were swollen from kissing him. Her full breasts were still covered by a thin white sports bra, but rose away from her chest with every quick breath she took. He eyed them for a second, wondering how he had never noticed how attractive she really was. Her stomach was tight and the muscles underneath were easily seen. Small scars dotted random parts of her flesh, telling stories of different fights she had lived through, and small tattoo of a red circle was on her hip- he made note to ask her about that later.

His lips found hers again, but only for a moment before traveling down her jaw to her neck. She whimpered softly as he trailed kisses along her skin and her fingers tangled back into his hair. His own fingers moved to the top of her pants, easily slipping past the button and between her legs. Her sex was hot against his hand, even through the fabric of her panties. A finger pressed against her and another whimper left her lips. Her hips pressed against his hand, silently asking for more. Liam was more than happy to give her what she wanted.

His fingers slid past her panties, pressing against her wetness. Sara groaned softly, rolling her body against his. He bit down softly on the skin of her neck, letting his fingers slip inside of her. She was so wet and so warm; he was going hard imagining how it would feel around him. Soft mewls were leaving her lips and every sound was driving him wild. His thumb flicked against her clit and he could feel her whole body shudder against. His fingers continued to work at her sex and his teeth nibbled at her neck and collar, while she gripped at his body and the couch trying to control the sounds she was making so they didn’t alert the whole ship to what they were doing. 

“Fuck,” Sara cried softly, her hips arching up off the couch. Liam could feel her body tightening around his fingers and he quickened his pace, determined to make her finish. His thumb pressed against her clit, rolling circles into the sensitive nub. She gripped onto him, her nails digging into his shoulders so hard he was certain she’d leave a mark. Her body shook underneath his and he could see her bite down on her lower lip to stifle her moans as she finished. 

His lips caught hers once more, letting the final cries of her orgasm be silenced by his mouth. It took her a moment, but she kissed him back hungrily. Her fingers found his pants again, but this time Liam didn’t push them away. His length was pressing hard against the fabric and he let out a groan as her fingers brushed against it. Her hand worked at the button and then started tugging them down his hips. Liam worked with her, letting them fall into a pile on the floor. His boxers followed, then her pants and panties.

Sara arched her back, pressing her warmth against him. Liam’s hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer until his was nestled between her thighs. His member brushed against her core, sending waves of desire throughout his body. He wanted this. He needed this. He needed her. Fingers pressed into the skin of her hips and he let his length sink into her body. She groaned out, one of her legs moving to wrap around his hips and pull him close enough that no space remained between them. He sank deeper into her core, air hissing through his teeth as he tried to hold back a moan. She was so tight, so warm. He had to stop for a minute, to keep from losing himself right then.

Nails dug into his shoulders and he began to rock his hips into hers. Her free hand found his jaw, pulling his mouth to hers. She kissed him lustfully, letting her cries of pleasure be stifled by his mouth as he pressed into her heat. He couldn’t help the moans that slipped from his lips as her body curled around his. One of his hands stayed tight on her hips, holding her in place as his cock thrusted into her, the other moved up to her chest, slipping underneath her bra and caressing her breast. He toyed at her nipple, rolling it between his fingers, and pulling another cry from her lips.

Sara’s hips started to move to meet each of his thrusts, pushing him deeper and deeper into her warmth. Her moans were growing louder, barely silenced by Liam’s lips anymore, and his movements were turning rougher. Every thrust went hard and deep into her body, rocking the couch underneath them. Her core was tightening around him and he could feel she was close. Every time he pressed into her, she let out a cry louder than the last and dug her nails deeper into his flesh. Her back was starting to arch off the couch and her body was shook under his. When she finished she cried out so loudly, he was sure they had to of woken somebody. It wasn’t until she moaned his name that he lost himself and spilled inside her.

“Liam!” Sara cried, her body clinging to his and her sex going tight around his length.

“Fuck!” Liam couldn’t keep himself from crying out and his fingers dug into her hips as he finished. His breath was hot and ragged and he had to hold on to the back of the couch to keep himself from collapsing on top of her. 

For a moment, they were silent aside from the sound of both of them trying to catch their breath. But once he did, Liam looked down at the woman resting beneath him. Black hair was messily covering her forehead and her eyes were shut, but a small, peaceful smile was on her lips. For the first time; Sara Ryder looked completely at ease and Liam thought she was beautiful. He was too busy admiring her to realize she had opened her eyes and was staring back at him.

“Why are you staring at me?” She arched an eyebrow, the peaceful smile turning into a smirk.

“Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”

It almost looked like she was going to laugh, instead she rolled her eyes as she sat up. “Don’t do that.”

Liam’s face fell in confusion as he moved to let her get up. “Do what?”

“Be like that,” Sara spoke quickly and avoided looking at him. “Romantic or whatever. I don’t know,” She reached for her panties and slipped them on. “I don’t want to be like that.”

“I wasn’t trying to be romantic,” His eyes followed her and he tried to hide his confusion. “Look, I’m sorry if i said that wrong, or if I shouldn’t have said it.”

She sighed instead of replying and stepped into her pants, pulling them up her hips. “We’re both adults, right? We can treat this like adults?”

“What do you mean?” He was still confused, trying to put together why she was acting like this so suddenly.

“Nothing changes now, now that we’ve had sex,” She finally looked at him and her face was serious, all traces of that beautiful peacefulness gone.

Liam stared at her, trying to comprehend what she had just said. He wasn’t expecting a relationship or anything, but this wasn’t what he was expecting either. He was silent for a second and looked towards the ground as he tried to gather his thoughts. Was this just a moment of weakness for her? A distraction? Was this a mistake? He didn’t know how he should feel about that, but the thought of it made his chest hurt. What did this even mean to him? Shit. Was this just a mistake to him too? It didn’t feel like one... Now he was taking too long to say anything.

In the end, Liam knew her friendship was more important than anything, and if this was a mistake he would never speak of it again, but part of him wanted to know if it was more.

“So what, pretend it didn’t happen?” He looked up at her. “Or be adults and see where this takes us?”

She wasn’t prepared for his questions either and took a minute to respond. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I want anything right now,” Her eyes moved back to the floor.

 _Why did that hurt? Don’t act like that hurt._ He told himself, trying to keep his face straight. “That’s fine, I respect that. I’m a big boy, Ryder. I won’t get clingy,” He moved towards his own clothes and started getting dressed.

“Really?” Doubt was obvious in her voice.

“Really,” Liam turned towards her and forced a smile. “But in the future, if you change your mind.”

Sara forced a smile of her own, but it was obvious to him. “Thanks, Kosta. I’m..I should go to bed now. Big day tomorrow.”

“Right,” He tried his best to act normal, but slipping into his pants didn’t help the awkward tension during their conversation. “Going to the vault on Aya.”

“Mhm,” Her reply was quick. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You know it,” He forced another small smile, but this one wasn’t as good.

“Right,” Sara awkwardly shifted her weight on her feet and looked towards the ground again. “Anyways, goodnight.”

“Night, Pathfinder,” He moved to sit on the couch again, stretching his legs out in an attempt to get comfortable. 

Sara took a second before she moved to the door. She paused and looked back at him, but didn’t speak before leaving. Once alone, Liam let out a sigh and his hands moved to rub his eyes. This was not a good decision. This entire day had been bad decisions. Trying to talk angaran representatives was stupid. Expecting them to listen was stupid. Kissing Sara had been stupid. And more than anything, not stopping when _she_ kissed him was the stupidest decision he had made. He should have known better. She was his friend, first and foremost, not to mention she was the bloody Pathfinder. 

_No,_ he told himself. He could just pretend this didn’t happen. Just like she said. They could both pretend it never happened and everything would be fine. Part of him objected; why did they need to pretend like this didn’t happen? What was wrong with what happened? Sure, she was the Pathfinder, but she had needs, and sure they were friends, but why couldn’t they be more than that? Did _he_ want to be more than that?

He forced himself to stop thinking, as difficult as it was. He forced his eyes shut and laid back on the couch. He needed to sleep and stop worrying about this. If he just went to sleep he could go based off of how Sara acted in the morning. And if she acted like it never happened, then it never happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting out with the moment that changed everything.  
> Hope everyone enjoys and let me know what you think! :D<3  
> Song is [Treacherous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cOqgarjuRc) by Taylor Swift.


	2. No Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara and Liam come to an agreement.

Liam let out an annoyed sigh. _If this stupid omnitool doesn’t stop acting up.._ He cursed in his mind and slammed his tool down on the table. His fingers ran through his hair as he tried to calm down. He had been on edge for two days now. Sara hadn’t talked to him for two days now. Exactly what he feared would happen, had happened. She was avoiding him. He tried to tell himself she had just been busy helping Moshae Sjefa; she helped activate the vault on Aya and was now hunting down leads to something called Meridian, but she hadn’t spoken to him at all. Vetra was the one who told him about Meridian, not Sara. His friendship with her was over, that much was obvious, and it looked like their working relationship was too.

“Liam!” Peebee’s musical voice filled the cabin as the door opened with a whoosh. “Whatcha’ up to?”

“What does it look like?” That came off harsher than he meant.

“Oooh, feisty,” She teased, moving to lean on the table across from him. “Now I get why Ryder likes you so much.”

“What did you just say?” He snapped again. Had someone heard them? Or even worse, was she telling people?

Peebee looked like she had just discovered new RemTech as she stared at Liam. “Oh?...Oh! Really? You two? Wow! You see, Drack and I thought we heard you two at it the other night, but we weren’t sure and we sure as hell didn’t want to investigate the mystery moans.” Liam’s face went hot as he stared at his hands in embarrassment. “Are you blushing? Cute. I really get why she-”

“Will you just stop!” Liam’s eyes snapped back up to her. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s not your business anyway.”

“I think things involving the Pathfinder are everyone’s business.”

“Peebee,” He protested, his voice softening. “Can we please just stop talking about Ryder?”

“Did something happen?” She sounded confused now. “Already over the honeymoon stage?”

“There was no bloody honeymoon stage,” He groaned. “It was one night.”

"One night that was so bad it’s never happening again?”

“No!” His face furrowed. “One night that she wants to act like never happened.”

“Never took Ryder as a one night stand type of gal," Peebee laughed but her jokes did little to help Liam's annoyance. "And you want more than one night?”

“Yes. No. I..” Liam sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t want anything to change. And she said they wouldn’t, but now she’s not talking to me.”

“Have you tried having sex with her again?”

“Peebee!” He put his head in his hands. “We’re done talking about this. I’m an idiot for thinking you of all people would be any help.”

“Hey, I can be plenty helpful!” Peebee protested, crossing her arms over her chest. “My advice, come drinking with me and Drack.”

“I really don’t think drinking will help.”

“And sitting around in your own misery will? Come on, Kosta. Give Ryder her space. She’ll get over it and you two will be thick as thieves in no time. It was just a hook up. Everyone has hook ups, especially when you're good looking and have to work together all the time in close quarters. You're only human.”

“People don’t hook up with their best friends,” Liam protested.

“Sure they do!” She moved to his side and grabbed his arm. “Now come on! We have shore leave today and let's not waste it moping around.”

“Peebee, I don’t feel like drinking.”

“Then you can watch Drack and I drink, still fun!” She pulled him to his feet and started pulling him out the door. 

Liam could have said no- put his foot down and stayed on the Tempest, but he walked with her. Maybe a drink or two would help, and she was right on one thing; it was better than sitting alone.  


_____________________________________________________________________________

Sara had spent her day running around Aya and staying busy. First she made arrangements to have an embassy established for the Milky Way on Aya and one for Aya on the Nexus, then she Evfra and planned their next move which would lead them to Kadara Port. Kadara was supposed to be filled with exiles from the Nexus and extremely dangerous. Rumor had it opposing factions fighting were starting trouble for Sloane Kelly, the ex-head of Nexus security turned Outcast leader. _Just another day in the life of a Pathfinder. Just more problems to solve._ Sara told herself, trying to force herself to stay positive. 

_“Sara, you have new emails,”_ SAM chirped in her head.

_“From?”_ She replied privately.

_“One from Peebee. And the same one you keep avoiding from Liam.”_

_“The one from Peebee?”_ She purposely ignored the latter part.

_“Inviting you to get drinks today while on shore leave.”_

_“The Pathfinder doesn’t get shore leave.”_

_“You are free now, Sara.”_

_“SAM,”_ Sara protested with her thoughts.

_“Sarcasm noted. Should I read Mr. Kosta’s email?”_

_“No.”_ Avoiding the Liam situation for the time being was easier than dealing with it.

_“Sara, if I may, you told Liam you two would remain friends. You are now avoiding him after time you enjoyed together.”_

“You were listening in!?” Her words were spoken out loud this time as she realized, and a few angarans looked towards the strange human talking to herself.

_“I am always here, Sara. I was not spying on your private moments, but I did see your endorphin levels, which were very high.”_

_“SAM, let's stop talking about my ‘private moments’. They’re private for a reason,”_ She would have snapped if she was speaking out loud. 

_“Noted, Pathfinder.”_

Ryder ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face. She sighed softly as she considered the email from Peebee. A drink did sound good right now- it would help her relax, help her forget about her night with Liam. It wasn’t that she regretted the night they spent together; no, she thoroughly enjoyed their time together. But she wasn’t ready for what he said afterwards. He’d called her beautiful and it made her heart stop. Most women would have loved that sort of compliment from a man like Liam. But Sara wasn’t normal. 

She had conditioned herself to run whenever anyone go too close to her. After her mother dying, he father always being distant, one too many bad relationships in the Milky Way, and her job completely abandoning her after her father ruined their family name, Sara had learned not to trust anyone. Trusting people meant one thing and one thing only- getting hurt. Liam was the only person she let get close to her aside from her brother, who was still in a coma. He was the only person she talked to about her father’s death. She even cried in front of him. He was the only person to see past her wall and then they went and had sex with each other.

The sex would have been fine if it had just been sex. No feelings. No attachments. Just two people getting what they needed. But you couldn’t just have sex with a friend and not expect it to muddle things. That was something she should have thought about before she kissed him. A groan left her lips as she walked towards the bar Peebee had mentioned in the email. She needed a drink, and a strong one. 

Sara could hear Drack and Peebee before she saw them. Drack’s booming laugh carried out into the air of the open bar and Peebee’s high pitched giggles followed after. Peebee was sitting at the bar, almost falling of her chair with a drink in her hand, and Drack was next to her, telling some exciting story from the look of it. Vetra was also there, but she was watching over the drunk asari and krogan, not drinking. 

Sara started to smile at her friends, until she spotted curly black hair in the corner of the bar. Liam was laughing along with the group, a drink in his hand. Sara wrinkled her nose and bit down hard on her lower lip. For a moment, she considered turning around and going to find Jaal or Cora, but Peebee spotted her first.

“Saraaaa!” She called out happily, nearly stumbling out of her chair and she hurried over. “You got my email! Awesome! I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Who am I to pass up free drinks?” Sara tried to ignore the twisting in her stomach, forcing a smile as she looked at Peebee.

“Who said anything about them being free?” Peebee laughed. “I put them on your tab!” She grinned and grabbed Sara’s arm, dragging her over to the bar and ruining all chance of escape. “Look who I found! Everyone’s favorite Pathfinder!”

“Ryder!” Drack boomed. “Good to see ya’, kid. Let’s get you a drink.”

“Thanks, Drack. Look’s like you’re having fun.” Sara smiled at him, but she could feel eyes staring into her. 

“Hey, Ryder,” Vetra nodded towards her. “Busy day?”

“Always,” She shrugged, taking a seat at the bar between Peebee and Vetra. “We need to go to Kadara.”

“Kadara?” Vetra sounded surprised. “That should be interesting.”

“What do you mean?" Sara asked, nodded towards the angaran bartender that slid her a drink. She sipped the liquid and tried not to wrinkle her nose. It smelled sickeningly sweet and tasted anything but, stinging her throat on the way down.

“Sloane Kelly. Exiles. Smugglers. Fun bunch over there. Take me with you, it’ll be okay.”

“Smugglers sound like your type of fun, Vetra,” Sara shrugged, taking another drink of the angaran liquor as she tried to avoid the eyes still staring at her from across the bar.

“Funny, Ryder. I’ll remember that when the smugglers steal your ship.”

“They’d have to get past this bunch first,” She smirked, referencing to the drunk krogan and asari who were starting to stumble off into the city.

“Yeah, and they’re definitely threatening,” Vetra chuckled. “I better follow them and to make sure they stay out of trouble. Have fun you two.”

Sara’s stomach knotted as Vetra started to leave. She was about to get up and run after her, but Liam spoke first. 

“Can I talk to you?” He almost sounded nervous and Sara downed the rest of the drink in her glass, preparing herself for the conversation she had been dreading.

“I guess,” She grumbled, not looking at him and sliding her glass towards the bartender again.

“Pathfinder,” Liam spoke, but she didn’t look at him. “Ryder,” He tried again. “Sara, please.”

Sara sighed and finally looked at him. He was frowning- a true, genuine frown that made her chest hurt. She didn’t like to see him like this, and she definitely didn’t want to be the cause of it. 

“I thought you said we’d still be friends,” He moved to sit in the seat next to her. “But you haven’t talked to me for two days. You didn’t even tell me about Meridian.”

Sara looked at the drink in her hands before taking another quick sip. “I...I don’t know what you want me to say here, Liam,” She confessed softly.

“Are you upset with me?”

“No,” Her hands were starting to sweat. She hated this feeling.

“Then why won’t you talk to me?”

“Things aren’t weird for you?” She finally snapped, her voice in a hushed whisper. “After what happened?”

“Why would they be weird?” His face stayed the same as he spoke to her. “Sara, we both said we wouldn’t let it change anything. All we did was have sex.”

“You say that like it’s not a big deal,” She rolled her eyes finishing the rest of her drink.

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“You sound like you’ve been talking to Peebee,” She teased.

“Maybe I have been. Anyways, the way I see it, there aren’t enough people in Heleus to go around throwing away friendships. This, us, we had something good. I don’t want one night of fun to ruin it.”

“Fun?” Maybe the alcohol was stronger than she expected it to be, but she was starting to smile at him. “You had fun?”

“Haha. Very funny, Pathfinder,” He was smiling back at her. “I think it’s safe to say we both did.”

“So no hard feelings? Nothing?”

“Nothing," He sounded sincere. "Only mad you haven’t talked to me for two days and I had to drink with Peeebee and Drack without you.”

“Oh, I’m sure that was just terrible for you, Kosta,” She laughed, reaching for her refilled glass and lifting it to toast with him. “We can make up for it now.”

“Sounds good to me, Pathfinder,” Liam reached for his drink, clinking his glass against hers, before they both finished the liquor in their cups.

This felt right. Spending time with him again. Sara was never one to admit to missing people, but she had missed Liam over the past two days. He had always been the person she talked with after a hard mission and not having him around had taken a toll on her, even SAM had commented on her rising stress levels. 

By the time the two of them stumbled back to the ship, they were both very drunk. It was late and they had spent the rest of their shore leave in the bar, drinking. A few friendly angara who were thankful for Sara rescuing the Moshae bought them drinks. Liam ended up dancing with one of the female angara who worked at the bar and Sara got chatted up by a few very friendly men. She giggled and brushed off their offers of spending more time together until Liam returned to her side and helped her stumble out of the bar and back to the Tempest. 

Most of the crew was asleep. Aside from Kallo and Suvi who watched as the drunk pair stumbled in. Suvi giggled and Kallo shook his head, warning both of them to be careful with the ship. The pair stumbled down the hall, trying to stay quiet and on their feet. Liam had an arm around Sara’s waist and one of her arms was curled around his neck. They managed to work the lift without falling off and wobbled to the Pathfinder’s quarters. 

“We made it!” Sara said with a victoriously, unlocking the door with her omnitool.

“Can’t believe you doubted us,” Liam teased, bumping her hip with his own.

“Oh, I’m not the only one,” Sara giggled as they stumbled into her room. “Those angaran men didn’t trust you to get me home safe either. “

“That’s because they wanted to be the ones to end up in your bedroom,” Liam grinned at her. “And look who’s here.”

“Oh, yes,” She continued to tease. “Look who’s here,” A smirk was on her lips. “Too bad you’re leaving.”

“Only because you want me to.”

Sara felt her stomach knot up the same way it had two nights ago. Maybe it was a bad idea drinking with Liam after what had happened. Maybe she was just a horny idiot, but her eyes glanced towards his mouth for a moment. She wasn't sure if it was just an innocent jest or if he had actually meant something by it, but the alcohol in her blood made her want to find out. “What’s that supposed to mean?’ Her voice was lower now and her eyes moved back up to his.

“It was a joke, Pathfinder,” Liam’s arm fell away from her waist and he stepped back from her. “That’s all.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” God, she was drunk. She was too drunk.

“Ryder,” Liam’s face went stern. “Don’t start this.”

“Why not?” She stepped towards him. “We both said there were no hard feelings, right? So why not spend more time together, no feelings?” This was a terrible idea, this was the alcohol talking. But right now she didn’t see anything wrong with them easing stress together. She closed the space between them, leaning up on her tiptoes so their lips were only inches apart. “I’m no good with attachments, but we both know we enjoyed the other night. You can do whatever you want with whoever you want outside of this room, I don’t care, but don’t act like you don’t want to be here with me.”

“Sara,” He breathed. His hands moved to her chest, ready to push her away, but his eyes flickered to her mouth.

“I love when you say my name,” The drunken confession slipped from her lips as she pressed against his hands. 

“Jesus Christ,” his voice was hot and his hands rushed to her face. 

A hand grasped each of her cheeks and pulled her lips to his. Sara stumbled on her feet, not ready for his sudden movement, and fell into his chest. One of his hands tangled into hair and his tongue pushed past her lips. She groaned into his mouth, letting her own arms move to snake around his neck. His free hand moved to her lower back, holding her body tight to his.

“No feelings?” She whispered against his lips.

“No feelings,” His promise was quick and the arm on her back moved to her bottom, lifting her up into his arms. Sara smiled against his lips, wrapping her legs around his waist and let Liam carry her backwards towards the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure everyone knows this wasn't a good idea.  
> Hope everyone is enjoying, please tell me what you think!<3:D


	3. Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Sara spend the night together before Sara goes to Kadara to meet her contact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _And I knew you were trouble when you walked in,  
>  So shame on me now._

_“SAM, lock the door and sign off for the night,”_ Sara said in her thoughts. A groan left her lips as Liam laid her on the bed. His mouth found hers, nibbling on her lower lip and making her groan out again. Want was pooling into her belly and she could feel wetness between her thighs already. 

_“As you wish, Pathfinder. Shall I stay off until Mr. Kosta leaves?”_

“Yes!” This time her voice was a cry as Liam nipped at the skin on her throat. Her fingers were tangled in his hair and his own hands worked at her clothes. He pulled at the fabric of her shirt, ripping it over her head and tossing it to the floor. He was quicker than the first time, his hands desperate to feel her skin underneath him. A hand moved to her breast, slipping under her sports bra and cupping it in his hand. His fingers toyed at her nipple and she moaned softly, trying to press closer into his touch.

As much as her mind was screaming that this was a bad idea; right now, she needed this. Once Liam started touching her, tonight and the night before, it was like a fire was lit in her belly. A fire that needed to be stroked. Her hips moved up to press against his. She could feel his erection pressing through the fabric of his pants and she let out a moan. He was already so hard and she was imagining how good he had felt inside her; how entire body felt like it was singing. She wanted to feel that again.

His mouth moved down her neck to her collar. She was trying to pull at his clothes, but he caught her wrists in one of his hands with ease. He lifted them up over her head, pressing them down against the bed, before catching her lips in a quick kiss.

“Let me take control this time,” It wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. Sara hadn’t taken orders from anyone in a while, she didn’t even listen to Director Tann, but she didn’t dare move in his grasp. If he wanted to take control, she’d let him. Right now, she just needed to taste his delicious mouth and feel his hands on her body.

“I’m yours,” She whispered into his lips. “Do what you want with me.”

She could see Liam smirk before his mouth went back to trailing kisses down her skin. He reached her collar again, but didn’t stop this time. His lips trailed down her chest and his free hand moved to push her bra up over her breasts. His lips caught her nipple and Sara let out a cry. Pleasure rushed over her body as his teeth toyed at the nub. Wetness was pooling between her legs and she tried to press her thighs together, but one of Liam’s legs was between hers.

He had to of feel her move, because his thigh pressed into her sex and she let out another moan. Every touch was sending electricity throughout to every nerve in her body. His thigh ground into her heat, giving just enough stimulation to leave her wanting more, and his mouth continued to suck on her breast. Her hips rolled against his legs, looking for more friction than what she was getting. She needed more, she needed him. 

Liam finally let go of her hands and his mouth continued down her torso. His tongue trailed down her stomach to her hips, making her squirm with desire. Nails dugs into sheets as she tried not to grab his head and force it where she wanted it to be.

“What’s this tattoo mean?” His lips pressed a kiss to her skin, right above the little red circle.

“It’s Mars,” She whispered absentlymindly, out of breath and trying to keep her hips from bucking.

“Mars?” His words were hot against her flesh, sending chills down her spine. His mouth continued to move, stopping right above the button of her pants. “Why Mars?”

“What?” She was too distracted in the feeling of his hot mouth right above her groin to pay attention to the question.

“Now, Sara,” His fingers toyed at the button of her pants as he spoke. “If you want me to continue you better pay attention.” 

She arched an eyebrow, looking down at the man between her legs. Was he actually being serious? No, he couldn’t stop right now. She was about to beg for him to touch her again when he spoke.

“Why do you have a tattoo of Mars on your hip?”

“It’s where I did my first round of peace keeping duty for the Alliance,” She was breathless as she rushed through her words. “Liam, please..”

“Now that I have my answer,” He grinned up at her before pressing another kiss to her skin.

His fingers undid the button and her pants slipped down her legs, falling to the floor with her shirt. Her own want had soaked through her panties already and he couldn’t touch her soon enough. His thumbs hooked around the edges of her panties, slowly tugging them down her hips and legs. She groaned out. This teasing was almost too much. She squirmed, trying to move her hips closer to him.

“Someone’s eager,” His lips found her inner thigh, pressing a soft kiss.

“Liam,” She whimpered his name, her fingers tangling into his hair. 

“Yes, Sara?” His lips trailed over her sex, barely brushing it and forcing her hips to buck again.

“Please,” Her voice wasn’t a voice she knew as she begged for him. “Please, touch me.”

“Happily.” 

Liam’s mouth quickly found her sex. His tongue licked along her folds, forcing a loud cry from her mouth as he finally touched her right where she wanted him to. Her hand stayed tangled in his hair, pressing his face between her legs. His hands moved to grasp her ass, holding her in place as his tongue worked at her heat. He played with her clit, switching between gentle licks and slow sucks, making her moan out his name until she came in his mouth. Once she had finished, he continued to lick at her folds for a moment, savoring the taste of her lust. 

Sara was breathless, trying to recover from the orgasm still running it’s course through her body. Her eyes were closed and she was too lost in her own pleasure to hear Liam’s undressing and moving on the bed. She didn’t know what he was doing until she felt his length slip into her body. 

A loud groan left her lips as he pressed her legs open and filled her. His mouth caught hers in a kiss and she could taste herself on his lips. Nails dug into his shoulders and she rocked her hips to meet his thrusts. Their kiss was almost as desperate as his thrusts into her body. Her moans were stifled by his lips, and if it wasn’t for his mouth they’d be waking the entire ship. His hands explored her body, grasping every curve and bit of exposed flesh he could as his cock pressed deep into her. Liam turned even more desperate as he neared his own peak.

His own moans spilled into the kiss and one of his hands gripped her hip so hard she was sure it was leave fingerprints tomorrow. He thrusted into her so forcefully their bodies moved further and further up the bed with each movement. Every time his length plunged into her, waves of ecstasy rushed throughout her entire body. She clung to him, just as desperate for release as he was.

“Sara,” He groaned her name into her ear and she felt everything in her body go tight.

It sounded so erotic coming from his lips and pushed her past the edge again. She let out a cry, another orgasm tearing through her body. She could feel herself go tight around him and he let out another moan, before spilling side her. They were both out of breath, trembling and covered in a thin layer of sweat. Liam exhaled loudly as he collapsed on the bed next to her. 

They were silent for a few moments, aside from both of their heavy breaths. Liam moved, one of his arms curling around her body and pulling her to his side. For a moment Sara almost pushed away from him, telling herself this was too much, but she timidly let her head rest on his chest. 

Liam’s fingers trailed down her back, running soft lines down her skin. She kept her head on his chest, listening to the gentle pound of his heart. He didn’t say anything and neither did she. She didn’t know what to say; thank you didn’t feel appropriate and she didn’t know how to address their friends with benefits situation, so she stayed silent, letting her eyes fall shut as she relaxed against him.

Sara wasn’t sure when she fell asleep, but when she woke up she was alone. She was still in her bed, naked aside from her bra and tangled up in her bed sheets. Her eyes moved, looking around for a moment. For some reason, she expected Liam to still be here.

_“Are you looking for Mr. Kosta, Ryder?”_ SAM asked.

“When did he leave?” She spoke out loud since no one else was around.

_“He left soon after you fell asleep last night.”_

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

_“I don’t typically wake you when you’re sleeping, Sara, and you seemed to be resting well. If you would like, I can make note to wake you in situations like this.”_

“No, SAM,” Sara sighed and rolled her eyes. “Never mind. Did he say anything before he left?”

_“Sara, you were sleeping.”_

“Yes, SAM, but did he say anything?” She let out a frustrated sigh as she rubbed her eyes with her thumbs.

_“He gathered his clothes and left.”_

Sara wrinkled her nose, looking down at her hands. They had both said no feelings, so why was she expecting him to be here in the morning? Her head hurt, but she wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol or from being annoyed at these feelings she didn’t want to be having. 

_“Sara, we have arrived at Kadara Port,”_ SAM interrupted her thoughts again. _“Everyone is waiting for you to dock.”_

“Awesome. Smugglers. Can’t wait,” Sara groaned, pushing herself out of bed and towards the shower.

_“Your sarcasm reminds me of your fathers."_

“Thanks, SAM,” Sara replied dryly, rolling her eyes.

_“Exactly like your fathers.”_

Sara let out an anxious sigh as she headed towards the bridge. Despite their promises of ‘no feelings’, her night with Liam left a sour taste in her mouth. Could there really be no emotions between them; just hot, rough sex every so often? For her, that was easy, at least she thought it was. Liam did more than satisfy her in bed the two times they had been together and she wouldn’t mind spending the night with him again. Still, something in the back of her head was nagging about how it would have been nice to wake up next to him this morning.

She pushed the thought away with a groan, refusing to think of it any longer. No feelings. That’s what they had agreed on. Liam was keeping up his end of the bargain, and Sara needed to do the same.

“Pathfinder,” Suvi’s voice pulled Sara from her thoughts. “We’re orbiting Kadara Port, waiting for your word to dock.”

“Take us in, Kallo,” Sara nodded toward the Salarian who returned the gesture before starting to steer the ship into port.

“Incoming call,” Suvi spoke from her spot at the head of the Tempst. “Patching it through.”

“There’s been a development regarding Vehn Terev,” Evfra spoke over the comm and Sara arched an eyebrow as she watched the ship dock at the port from the main windows. “Rendezvous at Kralla’s Song. Your contact’s name is Shena.”

“Shena?” Sara was about to question, but the comm link went dead before she could. Her eyes rolled in annoyance. Were they meeting at a bar? Of all the places you could meet a contact, they had to choose the most obvious- a fucking bar. Still, she bit her tongue and kept her objections to herself as she started towards the Tempest’s main door.

Drack and Vetra were waiting for her, which she had expected. The two of them knew how to work gangs and smugglers better than Sara did- whether that was with Vetra’s words or Drack’s brute force was always decided at the last moment. With them around she was perfectly safe, but part of her had wished Liam had been here. He was her second, despite Cora holding the technical title, and not having him here bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

Kadara’s Port was more alive than the Nexus or Aya. Shops lined the streets as did bars, a few restaurants and even some people’s homes. Yells, cursing and the sound of fights were all around. Supply boxes were scattered around and Sara was curious if they had been stolen from the Nexus, but there was nothing she could do about that right now. Kadara almost reminded her of some of the lower parts of the Citadel back home, except worse. At least on the Citadel, you knew no one was going to blow your head off.

Guards patrolled, weapons in hand and their eyes always searching for trouble, which was never too far off. Sloane clearly meant business for her newly taken territory. Sara wasn’t even dressed in her armor and she was starting to regret it. More than one person eyed her, arching an eyebrow at the new human who obviously didn’t belong here. Her hand cautiously reached towards her hip, brushing the pistol she had hidden in her waistband. It wasn’t much, but it was better than being empty handed. 

Finding Kralla’s Song was easy enough. It was the busiest and brightest bar in all of Kadara, even in the middle of the day. Vetra and Drack slipped away and into the crowds of people, promising to watch from afar as Sara made her way to the doors. The air inside the club was cooler than the heat of the city and the lights dimmed to the point you would never know what time it was outside if it wasn’t for two large open windows on the opposite side of the room. The smell of alcohol filled her nose and soft music her ears. The club was cleaner than the rest of Kadara and a shiny metal bar was in the center. An obviously aggravated asari bartender was yelling at a krogan as Sara moved to lean against the bar.

“Hey!” The bartender snapped at the krogan, trying to get his attention.

“Piss off,” He grumbled back at her.

“Hey!” She snapped again, louder this time. “You order. You pay.”

The krogan spun on his short legs to face the asari. A scowl was on his face and his lips flared to show his teeth as he growled at her. “I said-”

He didn’t have time to finish before the asari pulled a knife from her belt. She slammed the dagger into the counter, her eyes never straying from the krogan’s face or showing an ounce of fear. The krogan stared at her for a moment, then at the knife, almost as if he was considering his options. In the end, he pulled up his omnitool, transferring his credits. Sara was so caught up in the whole scene, she didn’t even see the man stroll into and bar and move towards her side.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.”

A Spanish accent filled her ears and she arched an eyebrow, turning her head to look at whoever decided to join her. He was tall, taller than her at least. His dark hair was perfectly coiffed on top his head and a smirk was stretched across his tanned face. He was handsome, devastatingly so. Sara’s eyes ran him over, secretly admiring how his clothes clung to him just enough to show a curve of muscle underneath. Who was this supposed to be? Whoever he was, he needed to wait until she was finished with Shena.

The bartender moved quickly, sliding two drinks towards her and the mystery man. He took a glass and offered it to her, the same smirk never leaving his lips. Sara eyed the glass for a second, before looking back at his face. This really wasn’t the time for a drink, but then again she had no idea how long Shena would be and one drink wouldn’t hurt. Especially if it was coming from a man that looked as good as he did.

“I guess I have time for a drink,” When she reached for the glass his fingers brushed over hers. She kept her face straight, but part of her wondered if it was intentional. The mystery man sipped his drink and Sara did the same, waiting for him to properly introduced himself.

“Shena,” The name rolled off his tongue. “But you can call me Reyes. I hate code names.”

Sara eyed him again, looking him over doubtfully. This was supposed to be her contact for the Angaran Resistance? She sipped her drink once more before setting it on the bar and looking up at his face again. “Not going to lie, I was expecting someone more...angaran.”

Reyes laughed and a handsome smile spread across his cheeks. “The Resistance pays me to supply information...among other things.”

“So you’re a smuggler.” It wasn’t a question as much as it was a statement. Of course he was a criminal; who wasn’t a criminal on Kadara?

Reyes shrugged his shoulders at the comment, moving away from the bar. He motioned for her to follow, and for a moment Sara considered turning to leave. She was sick of dealing with criminals and liars. This wasn’t going to end well, she already knew it. The Initiative and Evfra could find other ways to get into the Archon’s flagship, ways that didn’t involve working with smugglers.

But then Reyes’ eyes found hers. Even from feet away Sara could see the warm brown hues staring into hers from across the bar. Something in her stomach knotted up and she had to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. Her feet followed after him before her mind had a say in the matter.

“Your man- Vehn Terev- was arrested by Sloane Kelly, leader of the outcasts. Word spread about what he did to Moshae Sjefa,” Reyes started to explain. “The people are calling for his execution. And Sloane...well, she’s a woman of the people.”

“Dress it up however you want,” Sara rolled her eyes. “She’s a criminal.”

“You work for the Initiative. Sloane was part of the uprising on the Nexus, I doubt she’ll give Vehn up easily.”

Was that supposed to actually stop her? Sara Ryder was resourceful if anything; even if Sloane wouldn’t give up Vehn Terev, he would land in the Initiative hand’s in the end. Even if that meant they had to break him out themselves.

“I’m taking him,” Her hands went to her hips as she stared him down. “With or without her permission.”

Reyes arched a brow and his eyes ran her over for a moment. Sara immediately started to regret her positioning as his eyes ran along her body. Her stomach was knotting up again and, for a rare occasion, she felt genuinely nervous.

“We’re going to be good friends, you and I,” Reyes almost purred the words and it was like a knife to her already knotted up stomach. She was thankful when he continued to speak so she didn’t have to try to find something to say back- she wasn’t sure if she could put a proper sentence together right now. “There might be another way to get to Vehn. You work Sloane. I’ll talk to the Resistance,” He finished quickly and started to move towards the door.

“How do I contact you if things go south?” Her mind started working again and she turned to look at him as he walked away.

Reyes stopped for a moment, turning to look at her. A smirk was drawn across his lips again and his answer was a wink. A wink that made heat start running rampant through Sara’s veins. She couldn’t do anything but bite her lower lip and stare at Reyes’ back as he walked out of her sight.

_“Ryder,”_ SAM chimed in her head. _“Are you feeling okay?”_

“What?” She said out loud, turning to look out the window again. 

_“Your heart rate is accelerating outside of normal parameters. Are you alright?”_

_“Just trouble, SAM,”_ Sara sighed, pressing her eyes shut. She was in deep trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reyes is finally here and now things can get interesting. ;D  
> Hope everyone is enjoying. Please let me know what you think<3 :)  
> Song is [Trouble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUn1tzyTYeo) by Taylor Swift. If you can't tell, I really like Taylor Swift.


	4. A Day on Kadara Port

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam and Sara go to Kadara together and things take an unexpected turn.

Liam rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. They stung from focusing on his omnitool for too long, but he had finally made some progress in moving resources from Aya to Prodromos and he needed to make sure everything was going perfectly. He almost let out a yawn; he was tired, even if he didn’t want to admit it. 

He’d spent the day before roaming the wastelands of Kadara with Sara and Cora. It had been hot, the sun blazing down above them. Kett and remnant scattered the planet and where they weren’t, rebels, exiles, and members of the Collective were. It’d been a bloody day, fighting for what seemed to be hours as they tried to find the Kett transponder Terev had hidden in the outskirts of the badlands.

Still, doing that, fighting next to Sara- her covering his back and him covering hers, was his favorite thing in the world. There was nothing he enjoyed more than watching the triumphant smile on her face as she came out of her tactical cloak just after sniping an enemy. Sara Ryder was a silent killer if she had a sniper rifle in her hands, and she was just as amazing up close. She’d whip out her omni blade, slicing anything too close before gracefully dashing away with her jet pack and cloaking again before another enemy could spot her.

More than once Liam got distracted and Cora had to yell at him to pay attention while she threw enemies back with her biotics. It wasn’t that he meant to stare at her, he just couldn’t help it. She was one of the most talented soldiers he’d ever met, not to mention he had enjoyed looking at her more and more ever since they’d made their agreement.

Was it really an agreement, though? It was odd; a situation he never thought he’d find himself in. Friends with benefits? Ugh. It even sounded weird to him. Still, he couldn’t act like he didn’t enjoy it. Any man would enjoy a night in bed with Sara Ryder, but she was his best friend in Heleus and with what they were doing...it was hard to not want more. 

But he’d promised. No feelings. Liam Kosta was a man of his word, and he was not going to let his feelings get in the way. If she wanted him, she could have him, however she wanted him. God knew he wanted her. He could still feel her skin under his fingertips and smell her hair in his nose. And the way she sounded as she wiggled underneath his touch- just thinking about it made his blood go hot.

The door to his room opened with a swoosh and Liam snapped out of his less than appropriate thoughts. He cleared his throat, fiddling with his omnitool and closing the program quickly before turning towards the door. Sara leaned against the wall, a small smile on her lips and her arms crossed over her chest. He had to force his eyes to stay on her face, instead of giving her body a look over.

“Busy?”

“Always,” He sighed. “Better never too busy for you, Pathfinder.”

Her smile seemed to grow as he spoke and she shook her head. “Spend some time with me?”

“Doing what?” Liam arched an eyebrow, unsure about what the question meant now between them.

“Not like that,” Sara looked to the ground for a second. “We’re docked at Kadara for one more day. Let's go exploring, enjoy the little bit of free time we have.”

“You want to go exploring Kadara Port, Ryder?” 

She laughed softly, finally looking back to his face. “Who would give the two of us trouble, Kosta?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” He returned the laugh. “Just about everyone?”

“Come on,” Sara grinned, moving towards him and reaching for his hand.

Liam couldn’t help but smile, taking her hand into his. She pulled him to his feet and out the door. He wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but her fingers laced between his as she led him down the halls of the Tempest to the main door.

It was early in the day, but Kadara was busy as always. People pushed past the couple as they strolled along the docks. Liam was smiling; Sara was still holding his hand, he thought for sure she would have dropped it by now, but she didn’t and he was savoring the feeling. A faint smile was on her face as well and her eyes scanned the port for a moment. He took his chance to admire her face. The delicate curve of her jaw, the fullness of her lips. Her faint freckles were more noticeable in the sunlight and her eyes almost looked like they were sparkling. When she turned to look at him, Liam quickly looked away to try to hide the fact he had been blantaly staring at her.

“So,” He started. “Where should we explore?”

“I’m thinking we go shopping for some new guns and mods. I could use a new scope for my rifle. Starting to get rusty.”

“Anything but,” He replied. “You’re always covering my back and I haven’t gotten hurt yet.”

“Keyword; yet.”

“You wouldn’t let anything happen to me,” He said without thinking. Sara stopped walking with him and her hand started to slip from his. Then he knew he messed up. _Idiot_ , he cursed himself in his mind. _Think before you speak, Kosta_.

“Liam,” Sara spoke softly, moving away from him. “What’s going on over there?”

Liam scrunched his face in confusion, his eyes following hers. There was a small crowd of people starting to gather across from them in the market and their voices were growing loud. Outcast guards started towards the group, as did Sara and Liam, trying to discover the source of all the commotion.

An angaran’s lifeless body was in the center of the crowd. Blue blood pooled from multiple stabs wounds and Liam’s face twisted in disgust. The guards were trying the usher people away and Sara was scanning the corpse with her omnitool. 

“The Charlatan strikes again,” One of the many people that had gathered said as he was pushed away.

“I don’t get paid enough for this shit,” A guard grumbled.

“Wait,” Sara’s eyes snapped up to the man. “There’s been more than one murder?”

“Seven by my count, but that’s all I know,” The guard responded so casually it left Liam shaking his head. Murder was just normal business in Kadara apparently.

Sara glared at the man for a second before shaking her own head. Then she made the face she always did when SAM and her had a private conversation and Liam stared at her, waiting for what she was going to say.

“Liam, go find Jaal. The two of you suit up and meet me in the slums.”

“The slums?” He was obviously confused. “Why? What do you plan to do?”

“I have to go see someone. Find out if he knows anything about these murders.”

_He? Who was he?_ Liam pushed the thoughts away and into the back of his mind. She had given him an order and he had to listen. “Right, Pathfinder.”

Sara nodded at him before turning on her heel, starting to jog away from the market. Liam watched her for a moment, until she disappeared into the crowd. He finally started to move his own feet, heading towards the docks to the Tempest, but the nagging question wouldn’t leave his mind; who was she going to see?

______________________________________________________________________________

Reyes let out a relaxed sigh, stretching his legs out as he leaned back into the soft leather of the sofa. A drink was in his hand and a peaceful smile on his face. He needed this, a break. Being the Charlatan was hard work, and keeping it a secret was even harder. It was a fun game though; tricking everyone into thinking he was just a smuggler. No one knew, no one had the slightest idea how much power he actually had. And they never would, not until he was good and ready to make it known.

A good person would have felt guilty; guilty about lying to everyone, using everyone for your own needs. But Reyes Vidal was not a good man. In the Milky Way he had been nothing; a loser going nowhere. His dad left before he was born. His mother died when he was a teenager and after that he was on his own. He’d joined small gangs, thieving for what he needed to make enough credits to survive. He’d even sold red sand for a while at a particularly low point. That was until he heard about the Andromeda Initiative. Leaving the Milky Way, leaving his past, his old rivals, everything and one he ever knew behind- Reyes couldn’t jump fast enough at the chance. He bribed his way into the Initiative, blackmailing and carefully threatening who he needed to to make sure his name was on the list and his pod was woken early. When the Nexus went to shit, he left with the exiles and using his skills, he smuggled his way until he was more than comfortable in Kadara. He made a few friends and even more enemies, but more than anything he made a name for himself- two actually. He wouldn’t settle for being a nobody anymore, in Andromeda he was going to be a king. He was going to take Kadara's Port from Sloane Kelly. 

The smile on his lips grew at the thought. He’d be a good leader. With him in charge, Kadara wouldn’t remain the home of exiles and outcasts. He’d give everyone a second chance, because he knew better than anyone that they deserved it. He was much more reasonable than Sloane, too. He’d set up trade lines between Kadara and other planets, they wouldn’t have to be smugglers and thieves anymore. If he could get Aya on his side, or the Initiative again…

The Initiative. That was an idea. He’d already met one Pathfinder and she was less difficult than the rest of the Nexus. Not to mention better to look at than Director Addison. Sara Ryder was a beautiful woman, that was the first thing Reyes had noticed about her. From the back, all he could see was messy black hair and the sweet curve of her hips. His eyes lingered longer than they should have, but he couldn’t help himself. He was a man with eyes after all and why should he pass up admiring a beautiful woman?

When he finally spoke to her and saw her face, he was even more surprised. She had full lips, rosy cheeks with just a hint of freckles, and a pair of eyes so striking Reyes had difficulty focusing on them without feeling like she was looking into his inner thoughts. He wouldn’t mind seeing her again, and if he took over Kadara he certainly would. Just another benefit. 

He’d caught her looking at him, too; her eyes running him over, taking much longer than she needed. That was until she realized he was her contact and he was nothing more than a smuggler for the Resistance. If only she knew the truth. If she knew the truth behind half the things he’d done since he came to Heleus, she’d probably kill him on sight or put him in jail. Why did he care what she thought anyways?

When the door to his room opened, Reyes blinked his eyes in confusion. Who entered without knocking? He was almost ready to snap at the intruder, until he saw who it was.

Sara Ryder stood before him, dressed in full armor. The dim lights bounced off the dark metal of her gear and he could see the faint glimmer of her shields dancing around her. A pistol was strapped to her hip and a sniper over her shoulder. She had looked beautiful before, but right now she looked deadly. Deadly and hot. 

Her face looked less than happy; full lips drawn into a tight line. Her dark tresses had been pulled back into a small ponytail and out of her face. She certainly was a sight and Reyes was drinking it in.

“Miss Sara Ryder,” He rolled the R’s of her name, a smirk growing on his lips. “You came all the way down to the slums to see me?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard about the murders?” Her hands went to her hips in aggravation. “You know- the murders no one is doing anything about?”

“You heard about those?” Reyes sipped his drink. He had always liked a feisty woman, and Sara was turning out to be one.

“Cut the shit, Reyes,” Her eyes narrowed at him. “Another body was found outside of Kralla’s Song. People are saying it was the Charlatan’s dirty work.”

He had trained himself to ignore comments like these to keep his secret, but it still caught him off guard. One thing he was certain about; there was no blood on his hands from these murders. He rose his eyebrows and sipped his drink again before shaking his head. “No. The Charlatan is discreet, careful. Whoever did this wanted these bodies to be found.”

“So what?” Sara sighed. “They’re making a statement? Could be unhappy with how Sloane is running things?”

Reyes watched her, enjoying the sight of her trying to put the pieces together. He’d already done some investigating and had theories of his own. “Less than a third of the victims are Outcasts. If I was a betting man, and I am, I’d say it was the Roekaar.”

“Why would Roekaar be in Kadara Port?”

“It’s angaran built and, before Sloane, angaran run,” He shrugged his shoulders. “Say they came here looking for new recruits, and it all got out of hand.”

“And how do the angaran victims fit into that?”

Reyes chuckled softly. She was doubting him, and he was going to prove his point. “I’ve done some digging and each of the deceased angara were public Milky Way sympathizers.”

“So the victims were either from the Milky Way,” Sara was putting the pieces together now and Reyes was grinning.

“Or supported us,” He finished for her. “It’s the only pattern I could find. Problem is, I have no proof and the Resistance doesn’t want to antagonize the Roekaar.”

“That’s where I come in,” There was a fire in her voice- a spark of eagerness, determination. He liked that; she more than ready to jump in head first and solve the problem. The two of them working together could fix Kadara Port and get it in proper working order. 

“Use that fancy AI of yours to scan for evidence to implicate the Roekaar. People are scared, Ryder. This is your chance to win friends in Kadara Port.”

“I sound pretty integral to this plan.”

Her remark caught him off guard and he arched an eyebrow at her. Was she flirting with him? Two could play that game. 

“SAM is integral,” He replied with a smirk. “You’re a bonus.”

That got her. She was silent for a moment, and a smile started to creep across her face. “I haven’t agreed to help you yet.”

“I feel good about my chances,” He shot a wink in her direction before sipping his drink. “I’ll send you the nav points for the murder scene. Give me a call if you decide to go out there.”

“Sure thing, Reyes,” She turned on her heel to leave, and Reyes couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on her swishing hips as she walked away.

He would hear from her again. Not because she wanted to talk to him, but because she was a Pathfinder and she wouldn’t ignore seven unsolved murders. Still, any excuse to talk to her was good enough for him. Something about her was alluring and Reyes enjoyed having her around. He also liked the smile she tried to hide whenever he flirted with her. He’d have to do it more often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying! Please let me know what you think<3:)


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